What Happy People Know

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It’s hard to pass up a book entitled “What Happy People Know”. Even harder when the subtitle promises to reveal “How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better”. Fortunately, the book is worth reading and even more worth putting into action. This book, by Dan Baker, Ph.D. and Cameron Stauth begins by explaining, in very understandable terms, the science of how different parts of our brain can hinder or aid our happiness. Although the more primitive parts of our brain are responsible for creating a neurological fear system, which we cannot escape, the more evolved brain area (the neocortext which is creative, intellectual, intuitive and spiritual) can overrule this system and allow us to experience happiness. Intentionally choosing to employ this brain area to contradict the instinctual fear system creates the difference between living a life filled with fear in the forms of anger, perfectionism, pessimism, low-level anxiety, depression and feelings of isolation or enjoying a life of happiness expressed in feelings of fulfillment, confidence, peace of mind and self-esteem.

“What Happy People Know” then goes on to explain the Six Happiness Tools which help you to use your brain in ways to support the state of happiness and the Six Happiness Traps which need to be avoided if you are to be effective in your pursuit of it. The 12 Qualities of Happiness (see FYI) are also elaborated on more fully.

All in all this book offers an understanding of the science of two of our basic emotions, happiness and fear, and valuable recommendations of the strategies and techniques useful in choosing a life filled with more happiness.

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FYI*

“The sum of the following qualities is happiness. Not all of the qualities must be present for happiness to exist, and they don’t all have to be in equal amounts.”